Brown speaks in the matter-of-fact tone of someone who has crossed over to the other side safely. The advertising guru left the world of print eight years ago to start his own integrated marketing firm in Salem. King Fish Media has thrived, in part, because of the variety of choices it offers clients — everything from printed media to monthly e-mail newsletters, Web site design and interactive videos.

The greatest advantage of digital marketing, Brown says, is it yields results that are often more easily measured than print. While print publications can’t guarantee that people are seeing its ads, digital media can be often tracked and tallied.

“[Traditional] print media can’t guarantee [the ad] is going to an audience you want it to,” he says.

E-mail blasts, digital ads sent out to a targeted audience, are effective because the firm can track whether someone has opened them and signed up to receive more information about a product or service.

Brown isn’t against using print altogether. He acknowledges it is an effective tool for branding, pointing out the name-brand power certain publications like National Geographic carry. He feels, however, that print is most effective when combined with digital tools.

For example, Compass Bank, an Alabama client, hired King Fish to create an e-mail newsletter, a Web site and a quarterly publication. Combined, the tools all reach out to a different audience. Perhaps, most successful, though, is the bank’s quarterly publication, Compass on Business, which goes out to CEOs and highlights economic trends while reinforcing the bank’s own positive standing in the financial world.

“When I’m Compass Bank and I’m sending that ad to XYZ client, I’m sending it to them because I know something about them,” Brown says. “I know the CEOs are receiving the publication. The content is targeted.”

He adds, “As times are difficult, and dollars are harder and harder to come by, it’s hard to put money into something that doesn’t have measurable results.”

From startup to award-winner in less than a decade

After more than two decades managing publishing companies and ad agencies, Brown, 43, decided to launch his own business in Salem in 2001. A passionate fisherman, his Congress Street office at Shetland Park looks out over the South River and the Friendship.

“I like to look out my window when the sun’s just right and look at the stripers on the water,” he says.

When choosing a name for his new company, Brown says, he went for something that “sounded bigger than it was … [king fish] are fighting fish. A fighting fish is definitely something this firm aligns itself with.”

Though King Fish Media packs a punch in the design world, it’s a relatively small outfit, made up of 17 designers and other staff all based out of the Salem office. The firm, however, relies on more than 100 freelance writers to create copy for Web sites and print. “Some of the best editorial talent is working out of their homes today,” Brown says. “They’re people who ran magazines, who ran production for TV stations. ...That’s who I want working for me.”

King Fish’s client base is made up of about 20 businesses across the country including Shaw’s, Verizon, and locally, the city of Salem. (Last year the company helped launch Salem’s Haunted Passport program. Aimed at increasing year-round tourism, the Passport was marketed with discounts and clever promotions like a spoof video of Halloween being canceled.)

Though relatively small in number, clients often utilize King Fish repeatedly throughout the year for integrated campaigns that include e-mail, web site and print publications.

These days, King Fish’s business is broken down about 50-50 between print and digital marketing. Though the firm depends heavily on the latest technological tools to reach its market, it’s clear that the printed page is still alive and kicking. This month, the publication Compass on Business won three silver Davey Awards for its summer 2008 cover and inside story spread.

The Davey Awards — named for the Bible story of David and Goliath — recognize the best creative work from small design firms and agencies worldwide. Judges hail from the International Academy of Visual Arts, which includes members such as Polo Ralph Lauren, MySpace.com and HBO.

Out of the 4,000 applicants nationwide, only 25 percent were chosen for silver awards. King Fish’s creative services director, Scott Berkley, says the awards speak to the firm’s talented designers and its ability to tune in to clients’ needs.

“It’s recognition of our trade and capabilities,” Berkley says. “Any time you win an award it shows you understand your audience. Our design team really understands the editorial and delivers graphics that speak to the audience.”

Contact Kristin D'Agostino at kdagosti@cnc.com.

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